Foe

By: Iain Reid

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

A taut, psychological mind bender from the best-selling author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

We don’t get visitors. Not out here. We never have. 

In Iain Reid’s second haunting, philosophical puzzle of a novel, set in the near future, Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming news: Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won't have a chance to miss him, because she won't be left alone - not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.  

Told in Reid’s sharp and evocative style, Foe examines the nature of domestic relationships, self-determination, and what it means to be (or not to be) a person. An eerily entrancing pause-resister, it churns with unease and suspense from the first words to its shocking finale.

©2018 Iain Reid (P)2018 Simon & Schuster

Black Mirror-esque

As a fan of I’m Thinking or Ending Things, this book also has stuck in my mind since I finished it.
This novel reminds me of a Black Mirror episode. If you like Black Mirror, you’ll probably enjoy the book. I really enjoyed the narrator, especially his voice for Terrance!

Quickly becoming a favourite author

I picked up Iain Reid's first book, I'm thinking of ending things, on a whim and was immediately entranced and enthralled by his writing style, as well as how effectively he uses the trope of an "unreliable narrator". As soon as I realized he had written a second novel, I picked it up without a second thought and dove in.

Admittedly, I'm not as impressed by this as I was by his debut. I was floored by his first novel, despite having accidently spoiled it for myself not long after starting. Knowing I would have to be careful about that this time around, I didn't even read the synopsis before starting this one. Unfortunately for me, I worked out the gist of what was happening pretty soon. That being said, I was still wholeheartedly invested in discovering the "why" of this story, which I think was explored in reasonable depth. Much is left up to the reader to decipher and interpret, which is also quite the breath of fresh air in the modern horror medium.

I am eagerly anticipating Reid's next release, as I'm sure it will be just as incredible!

A bit Eerie

Quick book concerning life and relationships in an isolated setting. I had my suspicions about the ending after about half the book but still interest enough to find out if I was right.

Boring as shit.

I loved "I'm thinking of ending things". But Foe was boring as shit... I am disappointed.

Pretty good.

I prefer Reid’s last novel, but this one toys with some very interesting concepts. It’s all about relationships, and communication.
Just don’t be like me and read it after getting dumped.

Creepy and original

This book was so different. It's a weird story, and I felt uneasy the whole time reading it, but I wasn't sure why. I like the way this author writes, creating a sense of foreboding the entire time right up until the minute you figure out what's going on. It's a different kind of spooky and a real type of creepy.

engaging and quick but gives away ending

A quick engaging read. We open on a farm with a couple and green headlights appear down the drive. A man at the door. The rest are daunting days waiting for the call.

I very much enjoyed this story. The suspense was palpable. Every door knock, every whisper had me on the edge on my seat. The only sad thing was that about halfway I already knew the twist. Which made the second half less enjoyable.

Hard to put down I finish in about 5 hours. The characters were well balanced. Besides the spoiler in the middle, information was withheld enough to make you beg for more. The ending did have a nice bonus but it wasn't enough for me.

I just thought that one to many secrets were revealed. The writing style had an even flow. Definitely impressed with this author so far. I believe I will try some more of their books.

Good, But Drawn Out

I really like Reid's books, but this felt a bit drawn out. One hour could have been removed from the first portion without changing the plot/outcome, and, it would have held my interest more. That said, it was a good book, not quite as good as I'm Thinking About Ending Things.

An excellent, thought-provoking listen

I loved Reid's first novel so I approached Foe with a slight sense of trepidation and high expectations. My worries were unnecessary. Foe is superb, a tautly-written book in which the reader is always on slightly shaky ground. The novel's focus is narrow so the rules and reality of it's near-future setting are often implied but never crystal clear. That's entirely intentional and immensely effective. It's best to go into this story knowing next to nothing about the plot. Pay attention and you will be rewarded.

Reid is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I can't wait for his next effort.

Foe

Let me start by saying i thoroughly enjoyed this book. it is slow paced by very well done. Its the story of junior and his wife Henrietta. A man named Terrence comes to they're house one night and tells Junior he's been selected to go on a space station. Also tells him he'll have a replication to replace him while hes gone. I figured out what was going on about 3/4 of the way through but then even delightfully surprised me in the end. I found the performance enjoyable and the voice somewhat soothing. I listen to books or podcast as I go to bed and dozed off a few times. which is credit to the smooth voice.